|
|
|
Fresno Bee March 12, 2007 For more information, contact:
|
Kings Co. toxic site comment sought Feds host
meetings this month on PCB plan for Kettleman Hills facility Federal environmental officials will host meetings this month to get public input on whether the Kettleman Hills facility should be allowed to continue to store polychlorinated biphenyl, also known as PCB waste. The Kings County meetings are part of a permit application process the plant must undergo. PCB chemicals, which can cause cancer, were used in electrical equipment until Congress banned their use in 1976. Kettleman Hills, the West's largest hazardous waste landfill, is the only California facility permitted to accept PCBs. A permit drafted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency would require Chemical Waste Management Inc., the operator of Kettleman Hills, to monitor the air more closely for PCBs. " This represents a level of analysis never before seen for PCB in the country," said Paula Bisson, a manager in the EPA's San Francisco office. Bob Henry, operations manager at the Kettleman Hills facility, said Chemical Waste Management already takes air samples every 12 days to monitor for several chemicals, including PCB. The drafted permit would also require the facility to monitor air outside its property, Henry said. Along with the drafted permit that would expire in 2013, the EPA also released an Environmental Justice Assessment that looks at the impact the facility has on the local community. Kettleman City, a town of about 1,500 people, is about 4 miles away, near Interstate 5. According to that assessment, the EPA found no evidence that Kettleman City or Avenal are adversely impacted by the landfill. " I'm just ecstatic about the EPA's findings," Henry said. Henry called the EPA investigation "thorough" and expects the permit to continue to store PCBs will be approved. "Everything is looking good," he said. Yet, one local activist disputes the EPA's assessment. Maricela Mares-Alatorre, a member of People for Clean Air and Water in Kettleman City, said the EPA needs to conduct an in-depth health survey in the area. "I think it's really shoddy work," she said. "They weren't very thorough." Mares-Alatorre said many residents in Kettleman City are fighting cancer or facing fertility problems. "We need to figure out why that is," she said. Mares-Alatorre said she hopes the EPA will deny the Kettleman Hills permit. Erica Swinney, a community organizer with San Francisco-based Greenaction, said there are ways of dealing with PCB other than storing it at a landfill. Those methods are more expensive, but it's better than having the chemicals near a community, she said. " It's no longer acceptable to have any kind of toxic waste in people's backyards," Swinney said. The group plans to go door-to-door today in Kettleman City to inform the public of the meetings, she said. Greenaction and other environmental groups are also planning a March 27 demonstration in Kettleman City. Henry said the Kettleman Hills facility has a good environmental record and invites anyone from the community to tour the facility. The PCB permit renewal meetings won't be the last time this year that environmental groups are expected to protest at the Kettleman Hills facility. Henry said a more controversial battle looms because the facility is reaching capacity and needs to expand. Henry said he expects Kings County to release a draft Environmental Impact Report on the expansion in May or June. Chemical Waste Management wants to expand one of its landfills from 53 acres to 64 acres and build a new landfill. Swinney said she plans on being in Kettleman City a lot this year, "We'll be busy."
|